Platen apparatus, system and method for no-flip cooking mechanism for a food preparation appliance

ABSTRACT

The present invention is a cooking mechanism for a food preparation appliance which does not require any flipping of the dough product and achieves an irregular temperature profile during the cooking process. The platen system allows the flattened dough material to be transformed to flattened bread that is ready for consumption. The efficient platen system makes the automation and efficiency of the machine to increase and reduce the wait time for use rot get the cooked flattened bread. A system and method the apparatus functions and the response of the software to optimize cooking of the flat bread is dynamically adapted in response to variation flour quality, water content, and recipe selection (user input) by altering at least one of a distance, the sequence of movements and the temperature settings of the platens are performed.

CROSS RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims priority to a Provisional Application 2013096094filed on Dec. 26, 2013 in Singapore and a continuation in part of nowpending U.S. Utility application Ser. No. 14/445,122 filed on 29 Jul.2014 are hereby incorporated by reference in its entireties for all ofits teachings.

FIELD OF INVENTION

This disclosure relates generally to a having a platen system, apparatusand a method of cooking a flat bread that does not require any flippingof the dough product while cooking to make the flat bread.

BACKGROUND

In conventional cooking of a roti or a dough product, one must flip theroti or the dough product to ensure both sides are cooked. However, forthe sake of compactness, portable food preparation appliances cannotafford to flip the roti or dough product as the moving parts arerequired for the flipping motion and will undoubtedly increase the sizeand weight of the cooking device. Therefore, there exists a need for aninvention that can cook both sides of the dough product without addingbulk to the cooking mechanism in a cooking device.

SUMMARY

Several components of the apparatus, systems and a method for cookingflat dough to cooked flat bread without the need for flipping aredescribed. In one embodiment, the platen apparatus is a part of acompact flat bread maker and is situated after the dough ball makingapparatus (not shown). In one embodiment, a platen apparatus for cookingflat bread made up of flat dough is described. In another embodiment, byusing a first set of platen to flatten and the second set of platen tocook the flattened dough are described. The first set of platen and thesecond set of platen are contiguous to each other are described. In oneembodiment, a platen system may comprise of a single platen set thatperforms flattening and no-flip cooking. In another embodiment, multiplecombination of single platen set, dual platen set contiguous to eachother or combination thereof are disclosed.

In one embodiment, a platen system is part of a large machine that makesflat bread mechanically using software controls from flour and water. Inone embodiment, a platen system comprises of a set of flattening panshaving an upper platen and a lower platen, to provide flattened doughand is contiguous to a first upper platen and a second lower platen forcooking the flattened dough. The inner surface of the upper platen andthe lower platen of the set of flattening pans that comes in contactwith the dough has a smooth surface. The outer surface of the upperplaten and the lower platen of set of flattening pans has heatingmechanism. In all the platen that are being used the surface that comesin contact with the dough are made up of food grade nonstick material.

In one embodiment, the first upper platen having a first surface and asecond surface. The second lower platen has a third surface and a fourthsurface. The first surface and the second surface have a specificsurface structure for the first upper platen for cooking flattened doughto make flat bread. In another embodiment, the second lower platenhaving a third surface and a fourth surface with a unique surfacestructure for cooking the flattened dough without flipping to make theflat bread. In another embodiment, the second surface on the first upperplaten and the fourth surface on the second lower platen on have aheating mechanism of a specific type and a specific shape. In oneembodiment, the inner surface of the first upper pan and the thirdsurface of the lower pan are made up of nonstick materials. They arealso made up of heat resistant materials.

In one embodiment, a specific shape of the heating element is housed onthe second surface of the first upper platen and the fourth surface ofthe second lower platen. In another embodiment, the heating means may beachieved using conductance, radiation and convection either individuallyor in combination.

The upper platens for the first set and the second set of platens have az axis motion and are controlled either pneumatically, spring action,linear motion, track, geared, belted or even hydraulic in someembodiments. The lower platen for the first set of platen and the secondset of platen are contiguous to each other. Both the sets of platen areheated from the top and bottom. In one embodiment, if necessary thefirst set of platen are less heated than the second set of platen. Insome embodiment, the first upper platen of the second set may be heatedmore the lower platen.

In one embodiment, a system to enable mimicking the cooking of ahand-rolled dough product. A hand-rolled dough product is in most casesnot uniform, with irregular surfaces which are not completely flat.Therefore, when the hand-rolled dough product is placed on a heated pan,its irregular surface when placed on the heated pan creates a varyingtemperature profile which causes “uneven cooking”. As such, someportions of the dough product which are substantially flat are charreddue to substantial contact with the heated pan, and some portions of thedough product are cooked but not charred due to its irregular andnon-flat shape which results in minimal contact with the heated pan.

In another embodiment, a cooking method is disclosed for a foodpreparation appliance which does not require any flipping of the doughproduct and achieves an irregular temperature profile during the cookingprocess. In one another embodiment, as a system and method the apparatusfunctions and the response of the software to optimize cooking of theflat bread is dynamically adapted in response to variation flourquality, water content, and recipe selection (user input) by altering atleast one of a distance, the sequence of movements and the temperaturesettings of the platens (includes set of platens and/or all the firstupper plate and second lower platen platens in use) are performed.

The object of the invention is thus to replicate this uneven temperatureprofile during the cooking process for a portable food preparationappliance. However, as a portable food preparation appliance preparesdough products which are substantially flat, there is less of a chancethat the dough product would have irregular surfaces to result in thisdesired “uneven cooking”. There is therefore a need to devise a cookingmechanism for a portable food preparation appliance that is capable ofvarying the temperature profile during cooking.

Other features and advantages will be apparent from the detaileddescription, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, whichillustrate, by way of example, the principles of the current apparatus,system and method.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF FIGURES

Example embodiments are illustrated by way of example and not limitationin the figures of the accompanying drawings, in which like referencesindicate similar elements and in which:

FIG. 1 shows a back cover portion of the upper platen for the first setand the second set of platen that houses the heating element.

FIG. 2 shows the third surface of the lower platen with inundations forcooking unevenly.

FIG. 3 shows the second surface with cooking inundation.

FIG. 4 shows the heating element of both upper platens.

FIG. 5 shows the heating element of both lower platens.

FIG. 6 shows the first upper platen and second lower platen alignmentand specifically shows the second lower platen.

FIG. 7 shows the first upper platen and second lower platen alignmentand specifically shows the first upper platen.

FIG. 8 shows the first set lower platen and the second set lower platenin contiguous form with each other.

FIG. 9 shows the first lower platen having raw flat bread that has justbeen flattened by the set of platens.

FIG. 10 shows the second lower platen having raw flat bread that isbeing cooked due to the heat of the lower platen.

FIG. 11 shows that the first upper platen and the second lower platen iscooking the flattened bread on both sides.

Other features of the present embodiments will be apparent fromaccompanying drawings and from the detailed description that follows.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Several components for a system, apparatus and method of making flatbread using a platen system for a no flipping mechanisms are disclosed.Although the present embodiments have been described with reference tospecific example embodiments, it will be evident that variousmodifications and changes may be made to these embodiments withoutdeparting from the broader spirit and scope of the various embodiments.

The instant application is an improvement of the previous applicationPranoti Nagarkar Israni (2011 and 2014) wherein a platen system usingone set of platen is described. The cited application states that theplaten unit may include the upper platen and the lower platen. In one ormore embodiments, the surface of platens may be made of alloys of metalscoated with nonstick coating. In the example embodiment, the upperplaten and the lower platen may be mounted on a base and are held tosupporting bars. In one instance it is stated that either of the upperplaten and the lower platen or both may be enabled to rotate. Thedistance between the upper platen and the lower platen may be controlledthrough the upper weight controlled by the platen control module.

The improvements that are made in the instant invention are the platensystem that is contiguous to each other or multiple of the platen may beused in any combination. In the instant application the platen system,apparatus and method may be used for more faster and efficientprocessing is described. The platen system, apparatus and method allowsa quicker production and simultaneous flattening and cooking function tokeep up with the fast dough ball making apparatus that is described inthe previous application. The apparatus, system and method also enablethe temperature control of the platen system individually or together.The instant apparatus, system and method works on the principal thatflattened dough needs cooking on both sides and resembles and texturedas the real cooked flat bread when made by hand. The technicalchallenges that are overcome are the speed of cooking, novel systemlevel controls for making a cooked flat bread and automation for makingone dough ball at a time, flattening one dough ball at a time to make aflattened dough and cooking the flattened dough without flipping toresemble handmade flat bread.

The following paragraphs describe the apparatus, the system thatcontrols the apparatus and the method of using the apparatus. FIG. 1shows an enclosure 102 to cover the heating element 104. The enclosuresits on top of all platens and they are represented as 106. It could bethe first set of platens on top and bottom, second surface of the firstupper platen and the fourth surface of the second lower platen. Thisenclosure 102 is made up of insulated and heat resistant material sothat it can protect the appliance from being burnt out and as well as tocomply with local authority rules for insulating the heating mechanism104. The heating element may be made up of electric coils, gas,conductance, battery power or a combination of two, but not limited tothese examples. The lower part of the platen has a small separation 108is shown if there needs to be a spacer. It may not be present insubsequent designs. The heating mechanism 104 has a specific shape,wherein the specific shape is U shape, S shape, circular shape,concentric circle, isolated individual elements located at apredetermined location and a combination thereof.

FIG. 2 shows the second lower platen 206. Third surface (upper) of lowerplaten 208 comprises of specific surfaces structures such as raisedsurface 202 and recessed surface 204. Specific surface structure such as202 and 204 can be of any number and in any configuration on secondlower platen 102. Specific surfaces structures such as 202 and 204 canbe any indentation of any depth and of any width. The regions on thethird surface of second lower platen 206 which do not have specificsurface structure 202 and 204 are substantially flat. The specificsurfaces structure is at least one of a bubble, a circular dimple and acombination thereof. To cook a piece of flattened dough, the flatteneddough would be placed in-between the first upper platen and second lowerplaten. Both platens would be heated using the heating mechanism. Oncethe temperature of the platen is sufficient the flattened dough wouldform a vapor in between the layers of the dough and puff up. The surfaceof the flattened dough may darken in some places to show the flatteneddough is transformed to cooked flat bread. The cooked flat bread is thenpushed out to a tray for human consumption.

FIG. 3 shows the first upper platen 310 having a specific surfacewherein there are no specific surface structures such as 302. There aresurface differences between the region of 302 and where the raisedsurface 308 is located. It is separated by two concentric circles 306 toaccommodate the shape of the flattened dough that is placed between thefirst upper platen and second lower platen for cooking. The shape andsizes of the raised or recessed surface may vary as shown in 308 and304. The ring structure 306 also helps in holding the shape of theflattened dough and permits the raise of the flattened dough to puff upand forma cooked flattened material which is suitable for consumptionimmediately.

The function of specific surface structure 202, 204, 308 and 304 is toform an irregular and non-uniform surface to break up the temperatureprofile during cooking the flattened dough. The substantially flatregions (unique surface structure) on first upper platen 310 and secondlower platen 208 will transfer heat to the flattened dough material viaconduction, convection, radiation or a combination thereof while thespecific surface structure 202, 204, 308 and 304 would not able totransfer heat to the dough material via conduction, convection,radiation or a combination thereof, resulting in an irregulartemperature profile. The regions on the dough material corresponding tospecific surface structure 202, 204, 308 and 304 would thus be heated orcooked to a lesser degree than the regions on the dough materialcorresponding to the substantially flat regions on first upper platen310 and second lower platen 208. This results in uneven cooking of theflattened dough material to make handmade looking flat bread, which isdesired.

FIG. 4 shows that the heating mechanism 402 is secured on the fourthsurface of the second lower platen 208. This is covered by an insulatedcover 102. The first surface and the third surface are made up ofnonstick material. For example Teflon, ceramic, variations of Teflon,any nonstick coatings that is of food grade.

FIG. 5 shows the same configuration as FIG. 4 but for second surface onthe first upper platen 310 having a heating mechanism 502. FIG. 6 showsthe first upper platen 310 and second lower platen 208 in an alignedposition as it would be in the cooking appliance to cook the flatteneddough. The fixing screws would be secured in position 602 and theheating element is shown to be recessed as 502. FIG. 6 shows the anglein which specific surface structures are visible at the lower platen.FIG. 7 shows the specific surface structure in first upper platen 310and dimple 304. Wherein the lower platen 208 is shown to display theheating element 408 in this particular angle. These two figures show theconfiguration of the two cooking platens to make the final cookedflattened bread. The fastening may be done using spring loaded mechanismto allow the flattened dough material to rise naturally during cooking.The amount of heat being supplied to the dough material can also beadjusted by controlling distance between first upper platen 208 andsecond lower platen 310 using mechanical actuation. Both the platens mayhave their own individual temperature control using temperature sensorsand software algorithms. The set of platens used for flattening thedough have a flat inner surface that comes in touch with the dough balland has heating elements similar to the first upper platen and thesecond lower platen. The temperature for these two heating mechanism isalso controlled by the software to optimal level depending on theviscoelasticity of the dough ball and for creating a non-stickingflattened dough to be provided for cooking.

FIG. 8 shows, as one embodiment, the contiguous configuration of theflattening lower pan 804 of the set of flattening pans and the secondlower platen 208 of the cooking platen. The clear junction is shown as802. Both the sets of platen may be removed and individual ones may bereplaced hence the modular design to enable ease of maintenance andtroubleshooting when one or the other heating mechanism requiresreplacement. All four platen may be heated at the same temperature ordifferent temperatures. The entire heating mechanism is controlled usingsensors and software algorithms.

FIG. 9 shows flattened dough 902 being produced after the set of platengets a dough ball from the dough ball maker and places it between theset of platens to be flattened. Once it has been flattened in the platen804 it may be transferred by a sweeper (not shown) to second lowerplaten 208.

FIG. 10 shows that the transfer of the flattened dough from platen 804to second lower platen 208 has happened and due to raised heat theflattened dough has slightly puffed 1002. As shown in FIG. 11 once thefirst upper platen 310 and the second lower platen 208 come together tocook on both the surfaces of the flattened dough the flat bread puffs1102 and raises due to filling of vapor and is considered cooked. Thecooked flattened bread is then pushed out the compact machine for humanconsumption.

The method of using the apparatus is done in multiple steps. A method tomake the flattened cooked bread, comprises of first flattening a doughball using a set of flattening pans that have a smooth surface andtransferring a flattened dough using a kicker to a first platen and asecond platen; and subsequently cooking the flattened dough by movingthe first platen and the second platen upwards and down wards and usingthe heat to obtain a flat bread. The sequence of cooking the flat breadalso enables the first platen and second platen to move at differentdistances up and down for a particular cooking instance. The response ofthe software to optimize cooking method to make the flattened cookedbread is dynamically adapted in response to variation flour quality,water content, and recipe selection (user input) by altering at leastone of a distance, the sequence of movements and the temperaturesettings of the platens are performed. For example, if a user chooses apreference to have thick flat bread or the flat bread is a bit moresticky than acceptable then the platens may move closer first to get theflat bread cooked well and then vary the upward and downward movement inthe next sequence to puff the flat bread. The technical challenge thatwe are overcoming in this instance is that the current appliances havefixed distance and no intelligence to vary the distance based on userpreference parameter to adapt. As described above the first upper platenhas a first surface and a second surface with a specific surfacestructure for the first surface and the second surface for cooking theflattened dough to make the flat bread; and the second lower platenhaving a third surface and a fourth surface with an unique surfacestructure for cooking the flattened dough to make the flat bread. Someflat bread during cooking requires more heat than other type of flatbread. Traditional appliances overcome this challenge by varying theposition from a hot place to a hotter place or vice versa. However, inthe instant apparatus the platens using software control and sensorfeedback vary the heat on demand and the flat bread need not be movedfrom one place to another to get cooked and/or puffed.

The upper platen may have a fan type of structure to mitigate theheating of the apparatus due to convection or conductance induced heatfor cooking. Circulation of hot air and heat per se is done using fansor outlets in strategic positions in the platen apparatus.

Although the present embodiments have been described with reference tospecific examples embodiments, it will be evident that variousmodifications and changes may be made to these embodiments withoutdeparting from the broader spirit and scope of various embodiments.Accordingly, the specification and drawings are to be regarded in anillustrative rather than a restrictive sense.

What is claimed is:
 1. A platen apparatus, comprising, a set offlattening pans, to provide a flattened dough, is contiguous to a firstupper platen and a second lower platen for cooking the flattened dough;the first upper platen having a first surface and a second surface witha specific surface structure for the first surface and the secondsurface for cooking a flattened dough to make a flat bread; the secondlower platen having a third surface and a fourth surface with an uniquesurface structure for cooking the flattened dough without flipping tomake the flat bread, and a software residing in a processor dynamicallyadapts to at least one of a distance, a sequence movement and atemperature setting of at least one of the set of flattening pans, firstupper platen and second lower platen to cook the flat bread which variesdue to flour quality, water content, and recipe selection (user input).2. The platen system of claim 1, further comprising: the second surfaceon the first upper platen and the fourth surface on the second lowerplaten having a heating mechanism of a specific type and a specificshape.
 3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the specific shape is a Ushape, S shape, circular shape, concentric circle, isolated individualelements or a combination thereof.
 4. The apparatus of claim 1, whereinthe specific surface structure is at least one of a raised, recessed anda combination thereof on the first surface of the first upper platen tocreate a cooked look.
 5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the uniquesurface structure for the third surface is at least one of a raised,recessed, a flat surface and a combination thereof on the second lowerplaten to create a cooked look for the flat bread made up of theflattened dough similar to a traditional flat bread cooking.
 6. Theapparatus of claim 4, wherein the specific surface structure has a flatsurface in the areas where it does not have the recessed, raised and thecombination thereof on the first surface of on the first upper platen.7. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the unique surface structure has aflat surface if it does not have the recessed, raised and thecombination thereof on the third surface of the second lower platen. 8.The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the heating system is at least one ofa conductance, convection and radiation or a combination thereof.
 9. Theapparatus of claim 1, wherein the first surface and the third surfaceare made at least one of a nonstick surface.
 10. A platen apparatus,comprising: a set of flattening pans, to provide a flattened dough, iscontiguous to a first upper platen, the first upper platen having afirst surface and a second surface with a raised surface, wherein thefirst surface has a recessed surface and a flat surface for cooking aflattened dough to make a flat bread; and a second lower platen having athird surface and a fourth surface with a raised surface, wherein thethird surface has a recessed surface and a flat surface for cooking theflattened dough to make the flat bread.
 11. The apparatus of claim 10,further comprising: a heating mechanism is in a specific configurationplaced on a second surface of the first upper platen and a fourthsurface of the second lower platen.
 12. The apparatus of claim 11,wherein the specific configuration is at least one of a U shape, Sshape, circular shape, a square shape and a combination thereof.
 13. Theapparatus of claim 10, further comprising: the second surface and thethird surface is made is at least one of a non-stick material.
 14. Theapparatus of claim 10, wherein the cooking of the flattened dough doesnot require any flipping of the flattened dough for making the flatbread.
 15. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the recessed surface is aconcentric circle.
 16. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the firstupper platen and the second lower platen has a upward and a downwardmovement for cooking of the flattened dough to make a cooked flat breadwithout flipping the flattened dough.